Apparatus for selecting and separating threads of a warp



APPARATUS FOR SELECTING AND SEPARATING THREADS OF A WARP June 9, 1 T. D. NOONE ETAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1962 June 9, 1964 T. D. NOONE ETAL 3,136,025

APPARATUS FOR ssuzcwme AND SEPARATING THREADS OF A WARP 3 Sheets-$neet 3 Filed 001:. 2, 1962 gal? Z o M W V p.

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I ,Tlllllln 6T Patented June 9, 1964 3 136,025 APPARATUS FOR SEIJECTING AND SEPARATING THREADS OF A WARP Thomas Daniel Noone, Niddrie, Victoria, and Francis Patrick Noonc, Essendon, Victoria, Australia, assignors to T. D. Nooue Woven Products Proprietary Limited, Niddrie, Victoria, Australia, a company incorporated of Australia Filed Oct. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 227 ,881

Claims priority, application Australia Uct. 5, 1961 14 Claims. (Cl. 28-43) This invention relates to apparatus for the purpose of selecting and separating single threads from a warp set up in a passing in frame, to facilitate the operation of passing the threads of the warp through a heald frame. This operation is known in the trade as passing in and hitherto has been performed by two operators, one selecting and separating the thread from the warp and the other pulling the separated thread through the heald frame. It is also known for the thread to be selected and separated mechanically and employing a single operator to pass in the mechanically separated thread.

However, in the known mechanical apparatus the threads are only separated by a small degree from the other'warp threads and manual pressure is employed to pull the end of the selected thread free of the clamp holding the end of all threads of the warp. Considerable skill is required so that this pressure is applied in a manner which will not break the thread, and yet enable a high rate of thread passing in to be maintained. 7

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a warp thread selecting and separating apparatus for the purpose stated which during the selecting and separating operation withdraws the separated thread from the clamp so that it is free to be passed into the heald.

With the above stated principal object in view there is provided according to the present invention a warp thread selecting and separating apparatus for the purpose herein specified comprising means selecting and laterally separating the terminal thread at one'end of the warp from the remaining warp threads, a pair of resilient fingers slidable in a plane perpendicular to the warp to grip the separated thread, said fingers being mounted to rotate about an eccentric axis parallel to said perpendicular more, the apparatus can be positioned relative to the plane through a predetermined angle after gripping the I thread, said predetermined angle and the eccentricity of said axis being such as to effect withdrawal'of the end of .the separated thread from the clamp of the passing in frame so that the thread can be readily drawn through one of the healds without breakage.

Conveniently the separating means and the resilient fingers are mounted on a movable carriage and operated in timed relation by a suitable mechanism from a single electric motor. The carriage is also driven by the electric motor through an interrupted drive mechanism automatically controlled to maintain a substantially constant relation between the carriage and the end of the warp from which the threads are being removed.

The fingers are then angularly moved about on eccentric axis so that portion of the selected thread which is normally vertical is transposed to a horizontal disposition. This transposing of portion of the thread results in a shortening of the effective vertical length of thread between the fingers and the clamp of the passing in frame and consequently withdraws the thread from the clamp.

The resilient fingers are arranged so that they grip the thread in a manner which will enable an axial pull to be applied to the thread by the fingers to effect release from the clamp but only a minimum lateral pressure is required to withdraw the thread from the fingers. Furtherclamp so that only a short length of thread is tensioned during the withdrawing operation and thereby further reduce the possibility ofthread breakage.

Thus by providing mechanical means to withdraw the threads from the clamp a steady and controlled pressure is applied to the thread resulting in a reduction in thread breaking and an overall speeding up of the passing in operation.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of one practical arrangement of the warp thread selecting and separating apparatus as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is aperspective view from above the apparatus.-

FIG. 2 is a view of the under side of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a detailed elevation of portion of the driving mechanism of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part of the warp and the operative components of the apparatus in the initial position.

A FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with one thread selected from the warp.

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 with the selected thread separated from the warp and released from the clamp.

The selecting and separating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is used in conjunction with a warp passing in frame of known general construction. This frame comprises basically two bearings to rotatably support the roll carrying the warp threads and a thread clamp to hold the free ends of the threads, with a portion of the threads between the clamp and the roll substantially vertical. A portion of the clamp is shown in FIG. 4 and comprises a pair of rigid members 108 havingthread engaging surfaces of felt or similar material 109 which will firmly hold the threads in positionbut permit them to be withdrawn by the application of a relatively small force.

A horizontal track, a portion of which is shown at 9 in FIG. 1, is provided on the frame extending across the width of the warp and along which the selecting and separating apparatus travels. Suitable means are also provided to support the healds adjacent to the warp and on the opposite side thereof to the horizontal track.

Anchorages are provided at either end of the frame to receive the known lease lines and 101 which are threaded through the warp in the conventional manner, that is, with alternate threads passing between the lease in opposite directions as shown in FIG. 4.

The chassis 10 is supported on and guided along the track 9 by four flanged wheels 11, and carries on electric motor 12. The worm 13 is coupled to the shaft of the motor 12 and drives the worm wheel 13a mounted on a shaft 36 journalled in the transmission frame 14 mounted upon the chassis 10. The shaft 36 carries gears 16 and 15 which drive gears 17 and 20 respectively the latter being mounted on shafts 19 and 18 respectively, journalled in the transmission frame 14. Gears 15, 16,17 and 20 are chosen so that shaft 19 revolves at half the speed of shaft 36 and shaft 18 revolves at the same speed as the latter.

The shaft 18 carries the cam disc 21 having in one face a cam track with which the pin 24 co-operates to impart an oscillatory movement to the arm 22 about its pivot connection to the chassis by the pin 23. The movement of arm' 22 is transferred by link 25 to the yoke member 26 supported on the shaft 27 journalled in the chassis 10. I The pin 28 is fixed to the shaft 27. and slidably engages the slot 28a in yoke 26 so that the shaft 27 can reciprocate relative to the chassis in an axial direction without interrupting the drive from the oscillating arm 22.

Axial reciprocation of the shaft 27 is effected by the cam disposed below the chassis and mounted on the shaft 36. The cam 35 oscillates arm 33 which is pivoted to the chassis by the pin 34 and connected by the link 31 to the block 29 fixed to shaft 29 and slidably supported by rod 32. The contours of the earns 21 and 35 are such that the shaft 27 is axially moved so that the end 27a intersects the plane of the warp without rotation of the shaft, where after the shaft is rotated by cam 21 through a quarter of a revolution and returned while being axially withdrawn by cam 35.

The arm 37 is attached to arm 33 to oscillate in unison therewith about the pin 34 and is coupled through link 38 to arm 39 to effect oscillation thereof about pin 40. The link 38 is adjustably connected to arms 37 and 39 so that the effective length of these arms can be varied to control the speed of advance of the chassis 10 along the track 9.

The lever 43 is connected through the yoke 42 and pivoted block 41 to the arm 39 at one end and at the other end co-operates with the ratchet toothed wheel to effect intermittent rotation of the latter in response to the oscillatiaon of the arm 39. The gear 44 is fixed to and co-axial with the wheel 45 and meshes with gear 44 fixed to the adjacent wheel 11 to rotate the latter and advance the chassis 10 along the track 9. The pawl 46 engages with the ratchet toothed wheel 45 to prevent accidental reversal of the chassis.

The operation of the apparatus requires that the chassis be maintained in a substantial constant relation to the warp threads so that when the shaft 27a reciprocates to intersect the plane of the warp it is disposed adjacent the terminal warp thread. This is achieved by the feeler arm 50 having a pad 50a at the upper end to contact the warp threads. The feeler arm 50 is connected through link 55, crank and rod 61 to the crank 62 which, in response to angular movement of the feeler arm 50 raises and lowers the lever 43 out of and into engagement with the ratchet toothed wheel 45 to interrupt the drive.

The feeler arm 50 is journalled in the respective arms of the yoke member 51 pivoted to the bracket 52 provided on the chassis 10. The screw 53 and nut 54 are connected between the yoke member 51 and the bracket 52 to provide a means of adjusting the position of the pad 50a.

The lease shaft 73 is rotatably and axially slidable in the brackets 74, 75 and 76 attached to the chassis 10. The lease yoke 72 is supported on the lease shaft 73 and oscillated about the axis thereof by the rod 71 connected to the crank 70 on the shaft 19. The oscillatory movement of the yoke 72 is transmitted to the lease shaft by the pin 78a attached to the shaft and slidably engaged in the slot 72a. Axial reciprocation of the shaft 73 is efiected by the connecting rod 79 connected eccentrically at one end to the worm wheel 13a and at the other end to the block 80 attached to the shaft.

The shaft 73 effects one complete reciprocation for each revolution of the worm wheel but since the shaft 19 operates at half the speed of the worm wheel it requires two revolutions of the wheel to complete one oscillation of the shaft 73. The mechanism is arranged so that during successive reciprocations the shaftvoscillates in opposite directions from the mid-point of the oscillatory movement.

The hollow lease sleeves 78 are mounted on the plate 77 which is fixed to the shaft 73 so that the sleeves are parallel to and spaced equidistant on either side thereof.

The sleeves are arranged on the plate 77 so as to be disposed in the same vertical plane when the shaft is at the mid-point of the oscillatory movement.

The pair of brush spindles 82a and 82b, supporting brushes 82, are journalled in the support brackets 74 and 75 and are coupled to angularly move in unison in opposite directions by the pair of gears 83 in response to the rotation of the cam 85 transmitted through the roller 4 86 and arm 84 attached to the spindle 82a. The contour of the cam is such that the two brushes move into contact as the lease shaft 73 starts to reciprocate forward and remains in this position until the separated thread has been gripped by the fingers 47.

The outer end 27:: of the shaft 27 has attached thereto the arm 30 carrying at the outer end the gripping finger 47 disposed parallel to the shaft 27a. The gripping fingers 47 comprise a double legged finger 48 and a single finger 49 which fits into the groove formed by the two parallel legs of the double finger 48. The outer ends of the fingers are splayed outwardly to assist in guiding the separated warp thread between the fingers. The arm 30 is attached to the shaft 27a so as to be substantially vertical during the forward movement of the shaft to intersect the plane of the warp threads.

The cranked trip 37 is journalled in the chassis and connected through rod 88 to the switch 89 which controls the power to the electric motor 12 and the brake solenoid 9%). The brake 91 is actuated by the solenoid to grip the collar 92 mounted on the shaft of the motor 12.

Starting with the warp threads set up in the known manner in the passing in frame, and the selecting and separating apparatus a short distance from the first thread of the warp, the cycle of operation of the apparatus is as follows:

(1) When the power is switched on the carriage 10 will be driven along the track 9 until the shaft 27a and gripping fingers 47 are in the correct relation to the first thread 105 of the warp, FIG. 4, at which point the feeler arm 50a operates to interrupt the carriage drive as previously described.

(2) With the carriage stationary the lease sleeves 78 are partially rotated in one direction from the mid vertical point so that the lease cords and 101 move from substantial vertical alignment to a horizontally staggered relation as seen in FIG. 5. Since each successive thread passes in the opposite direction between the leases the staggered relation of the latter will cause the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th etc. threads to be freed from engagement with the leases while the 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. threads are more firmly engaged.

(3) Before the commencement of the forward movement of the lease sleeves towards the warp the cam 85 closes the brushes 82 onto the warp to hold the marginal threads.

(4) During the partial rotating of the sleeves 78 the latter are also moved axially along the lease cords towards the warp by the forward stroke of the lease shaft 73, so that they will engage the warp in the horizontally staggered position. As the 1st thread 105 no longer engages the lease cords the sleeves will pass this thread and engage the 2nd thread, whereby continued movement of the sleeves will push the 2nd and all subsequent threads away from the first thread so that only that thread remains held by the brushes (FIG. 5). The stroke of the lease sleeves 78 is set so that the 2nd and subsequent thread will be pushed approximately A clear of the 1st thread 105 and maintained in that position during the next four steps in the operation.

(5) With the 1st thread 105 isolated by the lease sleeves 78 from the remainder of the warp and held by the brushes, the shaft 27a and gripping fingers 47 moved towards the plane of the warp. The relative position of the shaft 27a and the lease sleeves 78 at this point in thecycle. of operation has been previously determined so that the shaft 27a will pass the selected thread 105 on the side furthermost from the remainder of the warp and the fingers 48 and 49 respectively will pass on opposite sides of, and grip the selected thread 105 (FIG. 5).

(6) When the thread 105 has been gripped by the fingers 47 the cam 86 actuates the spindles 82a and 82b to move the brushes 82 out of engagement with the thread 105.

(7) The shaft 27a is now angularly moved through a quarter of a revolution by the can-1 21 so that thegripping fingers move from a position vertically above the shaft to a horizontal coplanar relation (FIG. 6). During this movement the thread is wound partially around the shaft 27a so that the portion of the thread 105 between the shaft and the gripping finger is moved from a vertical to a horizontal disposition.

(8) Upon reaching this horizontal disposition the thread 105 actuates the trip 87 to stop the motor 12 and energize a brake solenoid 90 to operate the brake 91 and maintain the shaft in that position. During the rotation of the shaft 27a the vertical distance between the gripping fingers and the clamp 108 holding the free ends of the warp threads has been increased and as a result the thread 105 is withdrawn from the clamp.

(9) The operative now inserts the conventional hooked tool 106 through the heald 107, engages the horizontal section of the thread 105 and pulls the thread through the healds, and in doing so releases the thread from the fingers 47 which permits the trip 87 to return to its normal position thereby restarting the motor 12 and releasing the brake 91.

The shaft 27 and leasesleeves are then returned to their initial positions to complete one cycle of operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus will now complete the same cycle of operations for the next thread which was originally the second thread, the only difference in this cycle being that the sleeves are angularly moved in the opposite direction.

After a number of threads have been separated and passed through the healds the carriage will then move forward to a new position under the control of the feeder arm 50a.

The foregoing description of the construction of one practical arrangement of the apparatus can be varied in a number of ways, particularly in regard to the detailed drive and control mechanism, without departing from the invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for selecting and separating single threads from a warp set up in a passing frame, to facilitate the operation of passing the threads of the warp through healds in a heald frame, comprising means selecting and laterally separating the terminal thread at one end of the warp from the remaining warp threads, a pair of resilient fingers slidable in a plane perpendicular to the warp to grip the separated thread, said fingers being mounted to rotate about an eccentric axis parallel to said perpendicular plane through a predetermined angle after gripping the thread, said predetermined angle and the eccentricity of said axis being such as to effect withdrawal of the end of the separated thread from the clamp of the passing in frame so that the thread can be readily drawn through one of the healds without breakage.

2. Apparatus for selecting and separating single threads from a warp set up in a passing in frame, to facilitate the operation of passing the threads of the warp through healds in a heald frame, comprising a pair of sleeves receiving in sliding engagement lease lines extending through the warp and normally disposed in the plane of, and laterally spaced from one end of the warp, means effecting angular movement of said sleeves about an axis parallel to and intermediate said sleeves in alternate directions to move the lease lines out of engagement with the terminal thread of the warp, means effecting reciprocation of said sleeves along the lease line to displace laterally the re maining threads from the terminal thread, and means engaging said separated terminal thread and effecting angular movement of a portion thereof relative to and in the plane of the remaining warp threads into a position transverse of the healds, said angular movement being sulficient to withdraw the end of the separated terminal thread from the clamp of the passing in frame so that the thread can be readily drawn through one of the healds without breakage.

6 3. Apparatus for selecting and separating single threads from a warp set up in a passing in frame, to facilitate the operation of passing the threads of the warp through healds in a heald frame, comprising a pair of sleeves re ceiving in sliding engagement lease lines extending through the warp and norrnally disposed in the plane of, and laterally spaced'from one end of the warp, means affecting angular movement of said sleeves about an axis parallel to and intermediate said sleeves in alternate directions to move the lease lines out of engagement with the terminal thread of'the warp, means effecting reciprocation of said sleeves along the lease line to displace laterally the remaining threads from the terminal threads, a pair of resilient fingers slidable in a plane perpendicular to the warp to grip the separated terminal thread, said fingers being rotatable about an eccentric axis parallel to said perpendicular plane through a predetermined angle after gripping the thread, said predetermined angle and the eccentricity of said axis being such as to effect withdrawal of the end of the separated terminal thread from the clamp of the passing in frame so that the thread can be readily drawn through one of the healds Without breakage.

4. Apparatus for selecting and separating single threads from a warp set up in a passing inframe, to facilitate the operation of passing the threads of the warp through respective healds in a heald frame, comprising a chassis mounted upon transport wheels, for movement along a track on the passing frame, motor means on said chassis drive connected to at least one of said wheels, control means actuated by said warp to interrupt said drive connection and maintain said chassis in a substantially constant relation to the warp, means supported upon said chassis and actuated by said motor in timed relation with the movement of the chassis to select and laterally separate the terminal thread at one end of the warp from the remaining warp threads, means supported upon said chassis and actuated by said motor to grip the separated thread and effect angular movement of portion thereof relative to and in the plane of the remaining warp threads into a position transverse of the healds, said movement being sufiicient to withdraw the end of the thread from the clamp of the passing in frame, and stop means operable in response to said movement of the separated thread to prevent operation of the motor means until the thread is released from the gripping means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the thread gripping means comprise a pair of resilient fingers connected to the chassis for axial movement relative thereto in a plane perpendicular to the warp to grip the separated thread, and angularly movable about an eccentric axis parallel to said plane after gripping the thread to effect said withdrawal frornthe clamp, said axial and angular movement being effected in timed relation by said motor means.

6. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said resilient fingers are supported upon an arm attached to a shaft in a radial relation, said shaft being mounted on the chassis for relative axial movement between a position in which the shaft and finger are laterally spaced from the plane of the warp and a position wherein the fingers grip the separated thread and the shaft intersects said plane on the side of said thread furthermost from the remaining threads of the warp.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said fingers are disposed in substantially the same vertical plane as said shaft during the axial movement to grip the thread and the shaft is rotated after the thread has been gripped so that the portion of the thread extending between said shaft and the finger is disposed substantially horizontal and transverse of the healds, the radial distance between the shaft and the fingers being such that said rotation will Withdraw the thread from said clamp.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said stop means comprise a trip actuated by said portion of the thread when in the horizontal position and operable to stop the motor and apply a brake to the output shaft of the motor.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the selecting and separating means comprise a pair of parallel sleeves adapted to receive in sliding engagement the lease lines of the Warp, said sleeves being mounted on the chassis for relative axial movement in a direction parallel to said plane of the warp and relative angular movement about an axis parallel to and intermediate said sleeves.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sleeves are normally both located in a neutral position in the said plane and there is provided oscillatory means to angularly move said sleeves about said axis alternately in either direction from said neutral position, to free the terminal thread from the lease lines, a reciprocatory means to axially slide said sleeve along the lease line while in the respective angled position to engage and displace the remaining warp threads from the free terminal thread.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the selecting and separating means comprise a pair of parallel sleeves adapted to receive in sliding engagement the lease lines of the warp, said sleeves being mounted on the chassis for relative axial movement in a direction parallel to said plane of the warp and relative angular movement about an axis parallel to and intermediate said sleeves.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sleeves are normally both located in a neutral position in the said plane and there is provided oscillatory means to angularlymove said sleeves about said axis alternately in either direction from said neurtal position, to free the terminal thread from the lease lines, a reciprocatory means to axially slide said sleeve along the lease line while in the respective angled position to engage and displace the remaining warp threads from the free terminal thread.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sleeves are mounted into, and retained in engagement with the remaining warp threads While the free thread is gripped by the fingers.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the motor means are drive coupled-to one wheel by a ratchet toothed Wheel which is rotated in a stepwise movement by a reciprocating lever actuated by the motor means, and the control means comprises a feeler arm mounted on the chassis for relative angular movement in response to engagement with said end of the warp and adapted to disengage the lever from the ratchet toothed wheel in response to a predetermined angular movement of the feeler arm.

Colman et al. June 8, 1920 Hammer June 11, 1929 

1. APPARATUS FOR SELECTING AND SEPARATING SINGLE THREADS FROM A WARP SET UP IN A PASSING FRAME, TO FACILITATE THE OPERATION OF PASSING THE THREADS OF THE WARP THROUGH HEALDS IN A HEALD FRAME, COMPRISING MEANS SELECTING AND LATERALLY SEPARATING THE TERMINAL THREAD AT ONE END OF THE WRAP FROM THE REMAINING WARP THREADS, A PAIR OF RESILIENT FINGERS SLIDABLE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE WARP TO GRIP THE SEPARATED THREAD, SAID FINGERS BEING MOUNTED TO ROTATE ABOUT AN ECCENTRIC AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID PERPENDICULAR PLANE THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE AFTER GRIP- 